1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to storage and retrieval of spoken and audio messages in vehicular environments and other security zones, and is more particularly concerned with a system that allows repeated temporary storage and replay of spoken and audio messages either at its user's discretion, or in response to conditions of a vehicle, building, or zone, with such messages reproduced through an audio system that broadcasts a likeness of the user's audio input.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
In the prior art, there have been developed various devices for permanently storing and replaying factory-programmed voice messages for purposes of warning drivers regarding features of the driver's own vehicle, such as open doors, seatbelts not fastened, or the vehicle's position with respect to external landmarks. Such systems are now factory installed in many vehicles, and the art is well known.
Nonetheless, none of the systems described in the prior art are capable of storing customized messages at the command of the vehicle's user for replay based on triggering by preselected mechanical events such as security violations, but instead replay factory-programmed messages. Additional weaknesses of these systems are that since the voice messages must be factory-programmed, they do not allow arbitrarily selected new messages to replace old messages at the user's discretion, and the messages are not played back in the user's voice or even necessarily in the user's native language. A further weakness is that these systems use a tape recorder, disk, or drum to store analog voice recordings which is bulky and unreliable, or they use voice synthesis electronics which results in poor intelligibility and a machine-like vocal quality.
There have also been developed various devices capable of storing arbitrary user-spoken voice information using a tape recorder, and playing back that information to the occupants of the vehicle in which the recorder is installed. Some such systems have been integrated within systems that provide vehicle feature warnings, however, none of the systems referred to are capable of replaying messages at a volume suitable for broadcasting to listeners outside of the vehicle in which playback occurs, nor are any of the systems capable of replaying the user's own voice in response to features of the vehicle such as open doors or alarm triggered. An additional weakness of the systems referred to is that due to the use of tape recorders as a storage medium, they are less reliable and are bulkier than systems utilizing electronic voice storage, and they can not conveniently replay stored messages instantaneously in any random order. Also, many of these systems are extremely complex to use and install, are incorporated as a portion of a more comprehensive vehicle warning system, or require factory installation by the vehicle's manufacturer.
Most recently there have been developed devices for vehicular and local area security that rely on broadcasting voice messages in response to events such as triggering of door sensors or proximity sensors. Some such devices have incorporated integrated circuit means for storing messages that allow microprocessor-selectable instantaneous playback of any of several messages, however, none of these systems allow for erasure and rerecording of messages by the end user, and in fact, none incorporate a microphone or other direct voice input means. Instead, these systems rely on assembling each unit only after its messages are factory programmed using a complex process involving recording, digitizing, and permanently programming the messages into a read-only memory circuit using an expensive programming instrument. Because of this requirement, an additional weakness of these systems is that all messages must be recorded simultaneously, and can not be recorded individually at different times. In addition, these devices are either embedded as part of a complete security alarm system, or embedded as part of a secondary proximity alarm system, both of which require use of a complex and expensive programming unit at the point of installation, and both of which limit user choice of security features to those features provided for within the larger system. Finally, because the voice messages must be factory programmed, the vocal warnings and alarms can not unambiguously specify the object being violated by identifying that object within the message; this not only limits the fundamental attention-attracting benefit of the alarm during violations, but also neglects to overcome a primary shortcoming of conventional non-speech alarms, which is the inability to differentiate the user's own alarm from another individual's alarm when a false alarm occurs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,749 issued Jun. 13, 1989 to Franklin, discloses a vehicle safety and personal message system that is designed to provide playback of factory-programmed spoken messages to vehicle occupants in response to actuation by vehicle sensors, and to provide playback of user-recorded messages at dates and times selected via an alarm clock. The device incorporates a tape recorder that can be accessed by service technicians for customization of safety messages, and incorporates a removable external microphone that can be inserted by the user when accessing the tape recorder for customization of up to two date/time triggered messages.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,691 issued Jan. 17, 1984 to Kawasaki, discloses a voice warning device for vehicular occupants that is designed to reproduce a plurality of factory-recorded warning messages in response to preselected abnormal conditions of vehicle sensors, and to repeat the last message played at the will of the driver. The device incorporates a record disc as a recording medium.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,389,639 issued Jun. 21, 1983 to Torii et al, discloses a voice warning device that provides factory-programmed synthesized voice warnings over the same speakers that are connected to the vehicle radio or cassette player. Additionally, the device incorporates circuitry that controls the radio or cassette volume level and the warning volume level to allow the warning to be heard above the sound of the radio or cassette.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,089 issued Sep. 28, 1982 to Yano et al, discloses a factory-programmed synthesized voice warning system for automotive vehicles that adjusts its output volume according to the volume of the audio system provided in the vehicle. Additionally, the device enables the vehicle occupants to select and playback messages regarding features of the vehicle at will.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,819 issued Feb. 26, 1980 to Burgyan, discloses a motor vehicle information system having a tape recorder that can automatically deliver sequential factory-recorded messages at predetermined intervals, in response to the vehicle's odometer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,368 issued Dec. 27, 1988 to Grossheim et al, discloses an automotive security alarm system incorporating factory programmed synthesized speech means integrated within the alarm controller for broadcasting violation events, communicating menu options, and reporting violation events.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,630 issued Jan. 30, 1990 to Nykerk, discloses an automotive security alarm system incorporating a proximity sensor that triggers a voice warning upon entry into a protected zone, followed by a spoken countdown, followed by triggering of an alarm violation event if the entry is not reversed during a pre-set time period. Additionally, the device can be programmed on a one time basis with a set of customized messages at the factory, by digitizing prerecorded messages and burning those messages permanently into the contents of a programmable read-only memory device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,402, issued Jan. 22, 1991 to Nykerk, discloses an automotive security accessory device based on U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,630 that separates into a secondary alarm system the functions of radio frequency proximity sensing, factory-programmed verbal warning, countdown, and alarm triggering if entry is not reversed, and permits said secondary alarm to be interfaced with a conventional primary alarm system, where said primary alarm system incorporates door, hood, collision, and other sensors, a central processing unit, and a separate siren and/or other signaling device. In addition, the device allows the user to select modes of operation that provide only proximity warnings without countdown and triggering, or that turn off the accessory unit to allow unmodified operation of the primary alarm.
Recently, another prior art device relating to the current invention have been introduced commercially, though no patent information has been found. This is a system that allows repeated storage and playback of written messages to individuals outside the host vehicle, using light emitting diode arrays positioned in the vehicle rear window or on the vehicle's rear license plate frame. These systems suffer from several weaknesses, in that they require typing to program, are subject to readability problems in bright sunlight, and are only capable of communicating messages in a direction directly posterior to the host vehicle.